Lists

24 Books Authors are Reading on Instagram This Summer

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Alison Doherty

Senior Contributor

Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.

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Summer means summer reading. And if it’s not on Instagram, did it even happen? I joke (a little). But I was interested in tracking down what books different authors were posting about this summer. I know I added a lot to my TBR through this process. And I hope you do too. Happy insta-stalking!

Elizabeth Gilbert Is Reading Flash Count Diary

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THIS BOOK. This book! I have been waiting for months for this book to come out, so I can tell you all about it. It was published yesterday, so let’s do this thing! My friend @steinkedarcey has written a searingly intelligent, richly imagined, deeply moving memoir and exploration of menopause. This is not like anything I have ever yet seen on the subject. Darcey doesn’t make a mockery of her menopause, nor see it as a tragedy (unlike almost all the current cultural conversation around the subject), nor does she just talk about hormone replacement (seemingly the only medical conversation around the subject). Instead, she takes her body, our history, and nature itself seriously — looking at the end of her menstruation through the lens of spirituality, art, sexuality, myth, marriage, and (most stunningly) female POWER. I was incredibly stirred, educated, and inspired by this book. My favorite radical idea is when Darcy imagines that her (quite severe) hot flashes were ultimately a gift from the universe — meant to “burn away” all her last remaining insecurity, neediness, body-image-anxiety…in short, all obstacles of youthful femininity that had kept her trapped for so long in people-pleasing, life-sucking behaviors. I also love when she goes off on an adventure to study killer whales — another species where, as with humans, the females have a long, rich life, after their reproductive years are over. (Spoiler: post-menopausal female killer whales become the leaders of their pods, because they carry so much memory and wisdom.) I love this book. I admire this book. I want everyone to read this book. It’s fierce, and it’s important. ❤️ Onward, LG

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Jasmine Guillory Is Reading The Right Swipe, All This Could Be Yours, Not the Girl You Marry, & The Friend Zone

I’ve gotten so many exciting upcoming books lately! If I get enough work done on my flight to New Orleans, I’m going to treat myself to one of these, fingers crossed! (My mom has already called dibs on @jamiattenberg’s book).

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Brene Brown Is Reading City of Girls & The Beautiful No

Alyssa Cole Is Reading Kingdom of Souls, The Friend Zone, How to Be Remy Cameron, & The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics

Sarah MacLean Is Reading Love Lettering, Bringing Down the Duke, & The Vagina Bible

Becky Albertalli Is Reading Alex in WonderLand

Alwyn Hamilton Is Reading Three Dark Crowns

Jill Santopolo Is Reading After the End

Betsy Cornwell Is Reading Her Body and Other Parties

https://www.instagram.com/p/BySaxI4IK7F/

Helen Hoang Is Reading The Lemon Sisters

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This sounds like it’s perfect for summer. ☀️☀️☀️ (It’s out June 18.) Can’t wait to read it! Thank you, @jillshalvis!!! . . . Brooke Lemon has always led the life she wanted, wild adventures—and mistakes—included, something her perfect sister, Mindy, never understood. So when Mindy shows up on Brooke’s doorstep in the throes of a break-down with her three little kids in tow, Brooke’s shocked. . Wanting to make amends, Brooke agrees to trade places, taking the kids back to Wildstone for a few days so Mindy can pick up the pieces and put herself back together. What Brooke doesn’t admit is she’s just as broken . . . Also how does one go home after seven years away? It doesn’t take long for Brooke to come face-to-face with her past, in the form of one tall, dark, sexy mistake. But Garrett’s no longer interested. Only his words don’t match his actions, leaving Brooke feeling things she’d shoved deep. . Soon the sisters begin to wonder: Are they lemons in life? In love? All they know is that neither seems to be able to run far enough to outpace her demons. And when secrets surface, they’ll have to learn that sometimes the one person who can help you the most is the one you never thought to ask.

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Elin Hilderbrand Is Reading Ask Again, Yes

Kasie West Is Reading Home And Other Punch Lines

Cristina Alger Is Reading Disappearing Earth

Leah Konen Is Reading Adele

Sonali Dev Is Reading Say No to the Duke

Rainbow Rowell Is Reading The Break

Adam Silvera Is Reading Girl Gone Viral

Veronica Roth Is Reading All Systems Red

Kevin Kwan Is Reading The Joy Luck Club

Gabe Habash Is Reading Primeval and Other Times

Meg Wolitzer Is Reading The Trouble With Gravity

Lauren Willig Is Reading Searching for Sylvie Lee & The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street

AJ Finn Is Reading The Reunion

Riley Sager Is Reading The Electric Hotel

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The calm before next week's publication storm.

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